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Vanessa Leannon Vanessa_Leannon
Category: Photography - in Blogs
<br />
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<span style='display:none' class='DO NOT REMOVE - THIS CATEGORY CODE WILL BE HIDDEN - IT IS NEEDED TO BE FOUND BY CATEGORY AND ONE-CLICK SEARCH'>Category: Photography - in Blogs</span>
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Sharon inc one
If you travel by car
From The East:
1. Take the autoroute 25.
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.
3. Turn left and go straight for 500 meters.
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your right.
From The West:
1. Take the autoroute 25.
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.
3. Turn right and go straight for 500 meters.
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your left.
From The North:
1. Take the autoroute 10 to get the 25.
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.
3. Turn left and go straight for 500 meters.
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your right.
From The South:
1. Take the autoroute 10 to get the 25.
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.
3. Turn right and go straight for 500 meters.
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your left.
If you travel by bus
From The East:
1. Take the bus 128 west, transfer to the 69 north.
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.
3. Turn left and walk straight for 500 meters.
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your right.
From The West:
1. Take the bus 128 east, transfer to the 69 south.
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.
3. Turn right and walk straight for 500 meters.
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your left.
From The North:
1. Take the bus 10 south, transfer to the 122 east.
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.
3. Turn left and walk straight for 500 meters.
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your right.
From The South:
1. Take the bus 10 north, transfer to the 122 west.
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.
3. Turn right and walk straight for 500 meters.
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your left.
Ref: Directions - in Blogs
From The East:
1. Take the autoroute 25.
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.
3. Turn left and go straight for 500 meters.
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your right.
From The West:
1. Take the autoroute 25.
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.
3. Turn right and go straight for 500 meters.
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your left.
From The North:
1. Take the autoroute 10 to get the 25.
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.
3. Turn left and go straight for 500 meters.
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your right.
From The South:
1. Take the autoroute 10 to get the 25.
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.
3. Turn right and go straight for 500 meters.
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your left.
If you travel by bus
From The East:
1. Take the bus 128 west, transfer to the 69 north.
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.
3. Turn left and walk straight for 500 meters.
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your right.
From The West:
1. Take the bus 128 east, transfer to the 69 south.
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.
3. Turn right and walk straight for 500 meters.
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your left.
From The North:
1. Take the bus 10 south, transfer to the 122 east.
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.
3. Turn left and walk straight for 500 meters.
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your right.
From The South:
1. Take the bus 10 north, transfer to the 122 west.
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.
3. Turn right and walk straight for 500 meters.
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your left.
Ref: Directions - in Blogs
If you travel by car<br />
<br />
From The East:<br />
1. Take the autoroute 25.<br />
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.<br />
3. Turn left and go straight for 500 meters.<br />
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your right.<br />
<br />
From The West:<br />
1. Take the autoroute 25.<br />
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.<br />
3. Turn right and go straight for 500 meters.<br />
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your left.<br />
<br />
From The North:<br />
1. Take the autoroute 10 to get the 25.<br />
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.<br />
3. Turn left and go straight for 500 meters.<br />
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your right.<br />
<br />
From The South:<br />
1. Take the autoroute 10 to get the 25.<br />
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.<br />
3. Turn right and go straight for 500 meters.<br />
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your left.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
If you travel by bus<br />
<br />
From The East:<br />
1. Take the bus 128 west, transfer to the 69 north.<br />
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.<br />
3. Turn left and walk straight for 500 meters.<br />
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your right.<br />
<br />
From The West:<br />
1. Take the bus 128 east, transfer to the 69 south.<br />
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.<br />
3. Turn right and walk straight for 500 meters.<br />
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your left.<br />
<br />
From The North:<br />
1. Take the bus 10 south, transfer to the 122 east.<br />
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.<br />
3. Turn left and walk straight for 500 meters.<br />
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your right.<br />
<br />
From The South:<br />
1. Take the bus 10 north, transfer to the 122 west.<br />
2. Exit at Grand boulevard.<br />
3. Turn right and walk straight for 500 meters.<br />
4. Go to 1234 Grand boulevard on your left.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Ref: Directions - in Blogs
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Millie Zemlak Millie_Zemlak
(NewsUSA) - It's no surprise that parents today seek books that will delight, engage, and educate their children. However, some parents are seeing gaps in the available options of topics they want to share with their children. To combat this, there is a growing trend of parents who have taken matters into their own hands and turned to self-publishing to fill these holes themselves.
Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) from Amazon is one self-publishing option that offers editorial freedom and ease of use for busy parents looking to create something that meets their kids' needs.
KDP success stories include Handeep Dhoot (who writes as "Dr. Dhoot"), a mom with a Ph.D. in chemistry who wanted to introduce her young daughter to STEM topics.
Dr. Dhoot has self-published the growing Tinker Toddler series of STEM books aimed at young children, including Machine Learning for Babies & Toddlers.
"Becoming a parent helped me realize the urgency for introducing scientific topics, like STEM, to kids while their brains are still developing. KDP allowed me to self-publish books that portray these ideas in an accurate and digestible way for kids, including my own daughter."
Gabi Garcia, a long-time school counselor and mom, turned to self-publishing when she saw a lack of books for Spanish-speaking and bilingual children about how to understand their emotions and feelings.
"It's so important to engage with children early to discuss mindfulness. Self-publishing on KDP empowered me to take all that I'd learned and seen as a school counselor and make it accessible to more children, in both English and Spanish."
She has published several books on these topics through KDP, including Listening to My Body, published in both English and Spanish. She now writes full-time on mindfulness and social awareness topics for children, parents, and educators.
Brendan Kelso struggled with dyslexia as a child, but found learning and performing dramatic monologues helpful. He enjoyed Shakespeare, but, like many young readers, found the text hard to understand.
After a career in engineering, he became a stay-at-home dad and came up with an idea to write versions of Shakespeare's plays that were more accessible to kids. His loveof theater and writing led him to self-publish several works through KDP, starting with Shakespeare's Hamlet for Kids.
"I have the freedom to spend more time with my family, while pursuing my passion on my own terms with KDP."
These parents have been able to create the books they couldn't find for kids and found financial success - and sometimes a whole new career - in the process.
For those parents who are toying with self-publishing, but still have questions, consider this:
* KDP lets authors set their own prices and retain all rights to their work.
* As an author, you can publish your book in minutes, and these books are available to a worldwide audience through Kindle online stores in 24-48 hours.
* You can publish Kindle eBooks and paperbacks in multiple languages.
Visit kdp.amazon.com for more information about Kindle Direct Publishing.
Ref: Encouraging - in Blogs
Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) from Amazon is one self-publishing option that offers editorial freedom and ease of use for busy parents looking to create something that meets their kids' needs.
KDP success stories include Handeep Dhoot (who writes as "Dr. Dhoot"), a mom with a Ph.D. in chemistry who wanted to introduce her young daughter to STEM topics.
Dr. Dhoot has self-published the growing Tinker Toddler series of STEM books aimed at young children, including Machine Learning for Babies & Toddlers.
"Becoming a parent helped me realize the urgency for introducing scientific topics, like STEM, to kids while their brains are still developing. KDP allowed me to self-publish books that portray these ideas in an accurate and digestible way for kids, including my own daughter."
Gabi Garcia, a long-time school counselor and mom, turned to self-publishing when she saw a lack of books for Spanish-speaking and bilingual children about how to understand their emotions and feelings.
"It's so important to engage with children early to discuss mindfulness. Self-publishing on KDP empowered me to take all that I'd learned and seen as a school counselor and make it accessible to more children, in both English and Spanish."
She has published several books on these topics through KDP, including Listening to My Body, published in both English and Spanish. She now writes full-time on mindfulness and social awareness topics for children, parents, and educators.
Brendan Kelso struggled with dyslexia as a child, but found learning and performing dramatic monologues helpful. He enjoyed Shakespeare, but, like many young readers, found the text hard to understand.
After a career in engineering, he became a stay-at-home dad and came up with an idea to write versions of Shakespeare's plays that were more accessible to kids. His loveof theater and writing led him to self-publish several works through KDP, starting with Shakespeare's Hamlet for Kids.
"I have the freedom to spend more time with my family, while pursuing my passion on my own terms with KDP."
These parents have been able to create the books they couldn't find for kids and found financial success - and sometimes a whole new career - in the process.
For those parents who are toying with self-publishing, but still have questions, consider this:
* KDP lets authors set their own prices and retain all rights to their work.
* As an author, you can publish your book in minutes, and these books are available to a worldwide audience through Kindle online stores in 24-48 hours.
* You can publish Kindle eBooks and paperbacks in multiple languages.
Visit kdp.amazon.com for more information about Kindle Direct Publishing.
Ref: Encouraging - in Blogs
(NewsUSA) - It's no surprise that parents today seek books that will delight, engage, and educate their children. However, some parents are seeing gaps in the available options of topics they want to share with their children. To combat this, there is a growing trend of parents who have taken matters into their own hands and turned to self-publishing to fill these holes themselves.<br />
<br />
Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) from Amazon is one self-publishing option that offers editorial freedom and ease of use for busy parents looking to create something that meets their kids' needs.<br />
<br />
KDP success stories include Handeep Dhoot (who writes as "Dr. Dhoot"), a mom with a Ph.D. in chemistry who wanted to introduce her young daughter to STEM topics.<br />
<br />
Dr. Dhoot has self-published the growing Tinker Toddler series of STEM books aimed at young children, including Machine Learning for Babies & Toddlers.<br />
<br />
"Becoming a parent helped me realize the urgency for introducing scientific topics, like STEM, to kids while their brains are still developing. KDP allowed me to self-publish books that portray these ideas in an accurate and digestible way for kids, including my own daughter."<br />
<br />
Gabi Garcia, a long-time school counselor and mom, turned to self-publishing when she saw a lack of books for Spanish-speaking and bilingual children about how to understand their emotions and feelings.<br />
<br />
"It's so important to engage with children early to discuss mindfulness. Self-publishing on KDP empowered me to take all that I'd learned and seen as a school counselor and make it accessible to more children, in both English and Spanish."<br />
<br />
She has published several books on these topics through KDP, including Listening to My Body, published in both English and Spanish. She now writes full-time on mindfulness and social awareness topics for children, parents, and educators.<br />
<br />
Brendan Kelso struggled with dyslexia as a child, but found learning and performing dramatic monologues helpful. He enjoyed Shakespeare, but, like many young readers, found the text hard to understand.<br />
<br />
After a career in engineering, he became a stay-at-home dad and came up with an idea to write versions of Shakespeare's plays that were more accessible to kids. His loveof theater and writing led him to self-publish several works through KDP, starting with Shakespeare's Hamlet for Kids.<br />
<br />
"I have the freedom to spend more time with my family, while pursuing my passion on my own terms with KDP."<br />
<br />
These parents have been able to create the books they couldn't find for kids and found financial success - and sometimes a whole new career - in the process.<br />
<br />
For those parents who are toying with self-publishing, but still have questions, consider this:<br />
<br />
* KDP lets authors set their own prices and retain all rights to their work.<br />
<br />
* As an author, you can publish your book in minutes, and these books are available to a worldwide audience through Kindle online stores in 24-48 hours.<br />
<br />
* You can publish Kindle eBooks and paperbacks in multiple languages.<br />
<br />
Visit kdp.amazon.com for more information about Kindle Direct Publishing.<br />
<br />
Ref: Encouraging - in Blogs
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Rebecca Ebert Rebecca_Ebert
Category: Photography - in Blogs
<br />
<br />
<span style='display:none' class='DO NOT REMOVE - THIS CATEGORY CODE WILL BE HIDDEN - IT IS NEEDED TO BE FOUND BY CATEGORY AND ONE-CLICK SEARCH'>Category: Photography - in Blogs</span>
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Millie Zemlak Millie_Zemlak
(NewsUSA) - Janie Bryant, the Emmy Award-winning costume designer for AMC TV's "Mad Men," knows what it takes to make clothes look great.
Not only does she contribute to the visual representation of the entire cast, she brings a 1960s glamour to the period show that makes real people scour vintage shops to look like Joan Holloway and Don Draper.
Sure, audiences love the characters and their drama, but the beautifully authentic wardrobe stole the spotlight from the start. In her role, Bryant sketches, designs and fits the costumes for each character, which includes custom-made items and rebuilt vintage gems.
"One thing I've always been passionate about is how important presentation is to having great style. Looking pressed and polished is often just as important as what you're actually wearing," says Bryant, which explains why she released a fabric care guide of useful clothing advice.
"The best way to pull off that look is to know how to take great care of your clothing. [The Mad Men] era is all about being wrinkle-free and permanently pressed."
Take a look at some of Bryant's fabric care advice:
* Some fabrics are vulnerable to water spotting -- like acetate, silk and suede -- so be careful when applying perfume or body spray. Delicate garments like these tend to require dry cleaning, or hand-washing, and low-heat settings.
* Beware of "pilly" clothing that looks worn out, such as nylon and acrylic. If fabric is susceptible to pills, it's best to launder, dry and iron at low heat. You may consider laying these items out to dry, especially sweaters.
* Although cotton remains the world's most popular fabric, it is prone to wrinkling. The majority of cotton clothing can be machine-washed, but items with embellishments or accents should be turned inside out or put in a delicates bag.
* If wrinkles attack, use a fail-safe. Bryant trusts Downy Wrinkle Releaser so much that she advises you to have a bottle at home, in the office and in any overnight bag. Just spritz clothing, shake and gently pull to release stubborn kinks.
"On or off the set, the clothes that I work with and wear always need to look their best," Bryant says. "Not only does Downy Wrinkle Releaser work well on the vintage fabrics I work with during the day, but all the modern fabrics found in stores today. It's a must-have for people who need to look neat and pressed and those who need to be out the door in a flash."
For more information, visit www.downywrinklereleaser.com.
Ref: Fashion Men - in Blogs
Not only does she contribute to the visual representation of the entire cast, she brings a 1960s glamour to the period show that makes real people scour vintage shops to look like Joan Holloway and Don Draper.
Sure, audiences love the characters and their drama, but the beautifully authentic wardrobe stole the spotlight from the start. In her role, Bryant sketches, designs and fits the costumes for each character, which includes custom-made items and rebuilt vintage gems.
"One thing I've always been passionate about is how important presentation is to having great style. Looking pressed and polished is often just as important as what you're actually wearing," says Bryant, which explains why she released a fabric care guide of useful clothing advice.
"The best way to pull off that look is to know how to take great care of your clothing. [The Mad Men] era is all about being wrinkle-free and permanently pressed."
Take a look at some of Bryant's fabric care advice:
* Some fabrics are vulnerable to water spotting -- like acetate, silk and suede -- so be careful when applying perfume or body spray. Delicate garments like these tend to require dry cleaning, or hand-washing, and low-heat settings.
* Beware of "pilly" clothing that looks worn out, such as nylon and acrylic. If fabric is susceptible to pills, it's best to launder, dry and iron at low heat. You may consider laying these items out to dry, especially sweaters.
* Although cotton remains the world's most popular fabric, it is prone to wrinkling. The majority of cotton clothing can be machine-washed, but items with embellishments or accents should be turned inside out or put in a delicates bag.
* If wrinkles attack, use a fail-safe. Bryant trusts Downy Wrinkle Releaser so much that she advises you to have a bottle at home, in the office and in any overnight bag. Just spritz clothing, shake and gently pull to release stubborn kinks.
"On or off the set, the clothes that I work with and wear always need to look their best," Bryant says. "Not only does Downy Wrinkle Releaser work well on the vintage fabrics I work with during the day, but all the modern fabrics found in stores today. It's a must-have for people who need to look neat and pressed and those who need to be out the door in a flash."
For more information, visit www.downywrinklereleaser.com.
Ref: Fashion Men - in Blogs
(NewsUSA) - Janie Bryant, the Emmy Award-winning costume designer for AMC TV's "Mad Men," knows what it takes to make clothes look great.<br />
<br />
Not only does she contribute to the visual representation of the entire cast, she brings a 1960s glamour to the period show that makes real people scour vintage shops to look like Joan Holloway and Don Draper.<br />
<br />
Sure, audiences love the characters and their drama, but the beautifully authentic wardrobe stole the spotlight from the start. In her role, Bryant sketches, designs and fits the costumes for each character, which includes custom-made items and rebuilt vintage gems.<br />
<br />
"One thing I've always been passionate about is how important presentation is to having great style. Looking pressed and polished is often just as important as what you're actually wearing," says Bryant, which explains why she released a fabric care guide of useful clothing advice.<br />
<br />
"The best way to pull off that look is to know how to take great care of your clothing. [The Mad Men] era is all about being wrinkle-free and permanently pressed."<br />
<br />
Take a look at some of Bryant's fabric care advice:<br />
<br />
* Some fabrics are vulnerable to water spotting -- like acetate, silk and suede -- so be careful when applying perfume or body spray. Delicate garments like these tend to require dry cleaning, or hand-washing, and low-heat settings.<br />
<br />
* Beware of "pilly" clothing that looks worn out, such as nylon and acrylic. If fabric is susceptible to pills, it's best to launder, dry and iron at low heat. You may consider laying these items out to dry, especially sweaters.<br />
<br />
* Although cotton remains the world's most popular fabric, it is prone to wrinkling. The majority of cotton clothing can be machine-washed, but items with embellishments or accents should be turned inside out or put in a delicates bag.<br />
<br />
* If wrinkles attack, use a fail-safe. Bryant trusts Downy Wrinkle Releaser so much that she advises you to have a bottle at home, in the office and in any overnight bag. Just spritz clothing, shake and gently pull to release stubborn kinks.<br />
<br />
"On or off the set, the clothes that I work with and wear always need to look their best," Bryant says. "Not only does Downy Wrinkle Releaser work well on the vintage fabrics I work with during the day, but all the modern fabrics found in stores today. It's a must-have for people who need to look neat and pressed and those who need to be out the door in a flash."<br />
<br />
For more information, visit www.downywrinklereleaser.com. <br />
<br />
Ref: Fashion Men - in Blogs
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87
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Vanessa Leannon Vanessa_Leannon
Category: Photography - in Blogs
<br />
<br />
<span style='display:none' class='DO NOT REMOVE - THIS CATEGORY CODE WILL BE HIDDEN - IT IS NEEDED TO BE FOUND BY CATEGORY AND ONE-CLICK SEARCH'>Category: Photography - in Blogs</span>
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75
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Bob Mccullough bobm
How the National Media Messed Up the Mavs Predictions
by Bob McCullough 6/14/24
Go into the recent archives of any major sports site, and you'll find a lot of names who should be embarrassed about their predictions for the Mavs-Celtics series. And they're not just the names of those who happened to cover the Mavs.
The prediction split was close to 50/50. Maybe 60/40 in favor of the C's, which felt reasonable going into the Finals. Now it seems a little ridiculous.
So what went wrong? Let's take a closer look at why the national media especially fell for the Dallas storyline, for it embodies a lot of what's wrong with sportswriting today and NBA coverage in particular.
**** Mavs Story Lines
This one's at the top of the list. Writers love superstars, and the NBA's entire culture is built around them. The old ebony/ivory combination of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic was irresistable as a result, especially given the story lines.
Start with Irving, a fascinating wack job who's been shooting his career in the foot for a long time now. After getting in trouble for spewing anti-Semitic nonsense, breaking up teams, getting coaches fired and conveniently missing games due to his anti-vax rhetoric, Irving somehow managed to resurrect his career and transform himself into a supposedly responsible NBA elder in Dallas. It's the ultimate redemption storyline.
If you really believe that I have deeds to several bridges I can sell you, but in a basketball context Doncic may be even worse, which hardly seems possible. He's the most offensively gifted player of his generation, and yet, to use the words of Bob Cousy, he "looks like a truck driver."
Which is Cooz-speak for Luka being fat and out of shape, especially for a professional athlete, and the Celtics have relentlessly exploited that flaw. Add in the fact that he goes after the refs on EVERY play, and he's pretty sickening to watch, even with his incredibly skill set. That doesn't stop the writers from relentlessly loving the highlight plays; that's what they do.
J's Fatigue
This one's right up there, too. NBA writers especially are sick of writing the same old rivalry stories about Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown, i.e., who's better, who gets paid more, who cares more about winning vs endorsements and brand, and so on.
Not surprisingly, the rest of us are just as sick of reading them. Even more so now that' they've become largely irrelevant. Whatever their differences were--and there likely were differences, rest assured--they've worked them out to get to within a game of their first title.
** hum.
What Matters About the Mavs Previous Opponents
This one hasn't been explored as much, but it's relevant. National writers especially saw three glamour teams in the Clippers, the Thunder and the Wolves, which wasn't exactly the case.
Start with the Clippers. They were always a shell of a team with lots of older star power--Kahwi, Paul George, the artist formerly known as Westbrick. Without a healthy Leonard, however, that formula was yesterday's news, as the Mavs quickly proved. Simply put, it was a hidden mismatch.
On to the Thunder. This one's slightly more interesting. OKC surprised everyone with a first-round sweep over a New Orleans shell team supposedly "led" by the ever injured and absent Zion Williamson, which led to the assumption that they were ahead of the curve when it came to being playoff ready.
Dallas exposed them as a bit of a donut team without enough secondary scoring after SGA, giving Sam Presti a solid blueprint for what he needs to fix going forward. The Thunder are one of the few teams where "watch out for them next year" carries a lot of weight.
Lastly, the Timberwolves, who have one of the most oddly mismatched rosters in recent memory. They were perfectly constructed to stop the Nuggets, however, with two seven-footers available to get Nicola Jokic off his game. Against the Mavs, though, young Anthony Edwards was exposed as far from Finals-ready, and KAT came off once again as a seven foot scorer who sometimes plays at 6'6" under pressure.
What Now For the Mavs?
This one's simple, at least on paper--get Luka in shape, and convince him to play a nominal amount of defense. According to reports, though, Dallas has been trying to get him to do this for years, so that's where the "on paper" part comes in.
They also need him to grow up. Luka's referee theater routine grew thin when he was exposed to a team with two All-Defense defenders, and at least two more who should be considered for that roster. Whining about fouls is fine when you have inferior defenders, but it doesn't hold water when athletes like Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday are in your grill taking options away.
Finally, the Mavs need a third scorer. Badly. They got by with guys like PJ Washington and Derrick Jones this year, but bargain basement options like that almost always wilt like March daffodils when the playoffs roll around in April, May and June. The future's still bright in Cuban Land, but it's going to take some serious attitude and personnel adjustments to get Luka, Kyrie and company over the top.
<br />
<br />
How the National Media Messed Up the Mavs Predictions<br />
by Bob McCullough 6/14/24<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Go into the recent archives of any major sports site, and you'll find a lot of names who should be embarrassed about their predictions for the Mavs-Celtics series. And they're not just the names of those who happened to cover the Mavs. <br />
<br />
<br />
The prediction split was close to 50/50. Maybe 60/40 in favor of the C's, which felt reasonable going into the Finals. Now it seems a little ridiculous. <br />
<br />
<br />
So what went wrong? Let's take a closer look at why the national media especially fell for the Dallas storyline, for it embodies a lot of what's wrong with sportswriting today and NBA coverage in particular. <br />
<br />
<br />
**** Mavs Story Lines<br />
<br />
<br />
This one's at the top of the list. Writers love superstars, and the NBA's entire culture is built around them. The old ebony/ivory combination of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic was irresistable as a result, especially given the story lines. <br />
<br />
<br />
Start with Irving, a fascinating wack job who's been shooting his career in the foot for a long time now. After getting in trouble for spewing anti-Semitic nonsense, breaking up teams, getting coaches fired and conveniently missing games due to his anti-vax rhetoric, Irving somehow managed to resurrect his career and transform himself into a supposedly responsible NBA elder in Dallas. It's the ultimate redemption storyline. <br />
<br />
<br />
If you really believe that I have deeds to several bridges I can sell you, but in a basketball context Doncic may be even worse, which hardly seems possible. He's the most offensively gifted player of his generation, and yet, to use the words of Bob Cousy, he "looks like a truck driver." <br />
<br />
<br />
Which is Cooz-speak for Luka being fat and out of shape, especially for a professional athlete, and the Celtics have relentlessly exploited that flaw. Add in the fact that he goes after the refs on EVERY play, and he's pretty sickening to watch, even with his incredibly skill set. That doesn't stop the writers from relentlessly loving the highlight plays; that's what they do. <br />
<br />
<br />
J's Fatigue<br />
<br />
<br />
This one's right up there, too. NBA writers especially are sick of writing the same old rivalry stories about Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown, i.e., who's better, who gets paid more, who cares more about winning vs endorsements and brand, and so on. <br />
<br />
<br />
Not surprisingly, the rest of us are just as sick of reading them. Even more so now that' they've become largely irrelevant. Whatever their differences were--and there likely were differences, rest assured--they've worked them out to get to within a game of their first title. <br />
<br />
<br />
** hum. <br />
<br />
<br />
What Matters About the Mavs Previous Opponents<br />
<br />
<br />
This one hasn't been explored as much, but it's relevant. National writers especially saw three glamour teams in the Clippers, the Thunder and the Wolves, which wasn't exactly the case. <br />
<br />
<br />
Start with the Clippers. They were always a shell of a team with lots of older star power--Kahwi, Paul George, the artist formerly known as Westbrick. Without a healthy Leonard, however, that formula was yesterday's news, as the Mavs quickly proved. Simply put, it was a hidden mismatch. <br />
<br />
<br />
On to the Thunder. This one's slightly more interesting. OKC surprised everyone with a first-round sweep over a New Orleans shell team supposedly "led" by the ever injured and absent Zion Williamson, which led to the assumption that they were ahead of the curve when it came to being playoff ready. <br />
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Dallas exposed them as a bit of a donut team without enough secondary scoring after SGA, giving Sam Presti a solid blueprint for what he needs to fix going forward. The Thunder are one of the few teams where "watch out for them next year" carries a lot of weight. <br />
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Lastly, the Timberwolves, who have one of the most oddly mismatched rosters in recent memory. They were perfectly constructed to stop the Nuggets, however, with two seven-footers available to get Nicola Jokic off his game. Against the Mavs, though, young Anthony Edwards was exposed as far from Finals-ready, and KAT came off once again as a seven foot scorer who sometimes plays at 6'6" under pressure. <br />
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What Now For the Mavs? <br />
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This one's simple, at least on paper--get Luka in shape, and convince him to play a nominal amount of defense. According to reports, though, Dallas has been trying to get him to do this for years, so that's where the "on paper" part comes in. <br />
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They also need him to grow up. Luka's referee theater routine grew thin when he was exposed to a team with two All-Defense defenders, and at least two more who should be considered for that roster. Whining about fouls is fine when you have inferior defenders, but it doesn't hold water when athletes like Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday are in your grill taking options away. <br />
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Finally, the Mavs need a third scorer. Badly. They got by with guys like PJ Washington and Derrick Jones this year, but bargain basement options like that almost always wilt like March daffodils when the playoffs roll around in April, May and June. The future's still bright in Cuban Land, but it's going to take some serious attitude and personnel adjustments to get Luka, Kyrie and company over the top.
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